CAGED System

The open C, A, G, E and D chords you already know are really a map of the whole neck: these five forms join end to end along the frets, so any chord can be played in any region. Choose a root and chord type; zoom in on one form or see all five side by side.

Guide

How to use the CAGED System

Root, chord type and form

Choose a root and a chord type (major, minor, dominant 7th, major 7th, minor 7th). The C, A, G, E and D buttons bring a single form forward; All forms shows how the five join up along the neck. If there's no checked form for the chord type you picked, that button is greyed out.

Chord practice and solo practice

Chord practice shows only the chord's own notes, coloured by the job each one does. Switch to solo practice and a scale is laid around the same form; notes you can use for improvising between the chord tones appear in a lighter shade. The degree tags button flips between note names and degrees such as 1, 3, 5, b7.

Scale over the chord

Chord Only hides the scale. Chord and Pentatonic adds the pentatonic that fits the form, while Chord and the Whole Scale adds the seven-note scale the chord comes from, with its name and notes written underneath. For types like the dominant 7th you can switch between the bluesy minor pentatonic and the cleaner major pentatonic, and between modes for the whole scale.

Neck and positions

Tap any note on the neck to hear it; the strip below names the note, its job in the chord and the string and fret it sits on. When a form appears in more than one place, the coloured position buttons take you straight to each one.